Book Reviews - Global and International Studies Program ...

19 Ronki Ram: Dalit Identity
a location in the village Seer Goverdhanpur, on the outskirts of Varanasi, near
the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Sant Hari Dass of Dera Ballan had laid
the foundation stone of the temple on June 14, 1965. Dalits from India and
abroad contributed enormously towards the construction of the temple. Giani
Zail Singh, the President of India (July 25 1982-July 25, 1987), visited the Shri
Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Temple Seer Govardhanpur on May 25, 1984
(Sachhi Kahani, 2007:11-12). The construction of the temple was completed in
1994. Babu Kanshi Ram, the BSP supremo, performed the ceremonial
installation of the golden dome atop the temple. KR Narayanan, the then
President of India, performed the opening ceremony of the huge monumental
entry gate to the temple, on July16, 1998.
Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Mandir at Seer Goverdhanpur has
acquired perhaps the same importance for Dalits as the ‘Mecca’ for Muslims
and the ‘Golden Temple’ for Sikhs (based on conversations at Deras). Every
year during birth anniversary of Guru Ravidass, the Mandir attracts millions of
devotees from India and abroad. The Dera Sachkhand Ballan made special
arrangements for the pilgrimage of Ravidass devotees to their Mecca at Seer
Goverdhanpur (Varanasi). Special trains were arranged from Jalandhar city in
Punjab to Varanasi especially to participate in the celebrations of the birth
anniversary of Ravidass. This temple serves an important purpose in reminding
Dalits of the silent ‘social revolution’ led by Ravidass in Varanasi, the
headquarters of Hindu religiosity. Its unique contribution lies in symbolising a
vision for the future and the forgotten history of the Dalit struggle for equality
and dignity in medieval India. Amidst the erstwhile headquartes of the
oppressive Hindu social order, ‘Temple of Shri Guru Ravidass’s Birthplace’ has
become an important cultural and religious site for the assertion of distinct
identity where the ex-untouchables can move around with their heads held high
and without the fear of being measured on the scale of caste hierarchy – in a
way Begumpura in the making. In fact, this temple has turned out to be a
repository of separate Dalit identity.
Dera Sachkhand Ballan, Dera Sants and Markers of a Separate Dalit
Identity
Dera Sachkhand Ballan became a paragon of the Ravidass movement in
northwest India. It made concerted efforts for the construction of a separate
Dalit identity, independent of both Sikhism and Hinduism – the two main
religious traditions of the region. The architecture of Dera Ballan is unique in its
outlook. It resembles both a temple and a Gurdwara at the same time. Though
the Guru Granth Sahib is placed in the Dera but unlike a Gurdwara, the idols of
Guru Ravidass and the late heads of the Dera Ballan are also installed in its
premises and are worshipped along with the Guru Granth Sahib. 42 The
membership of the management committees of the Ravidass Deras is strictly
confined to Ravidassia Dalits only. No upper caste Sikh is allowed to become a
member of the managing committees of the Ravidass Deras and Sabhas.